I had not used TikTok until yesterday. My niece in her mid-20s said she had stopped using the TikTok app — a Chinese-owned video-sharing social networking service — because it's best suited for teenagers. After downloading and trying the app for a while, I deleted it because she was right.
As for WeChat, I had to reluctantly download the app several years ago. It was the best way to communicate with friends in Beijing, who strongly recommended that I do so. WeChat is still on my cellphone although every WeChat user knows that whatever is communicated on the app is being monitored by relevant authorities.
Tokyo was puzzled by U.S. President Donald Trump's two executive orders of Aug. 6 announcing restrictions on the use of TikTok and WeChat in the United States. Teenage users in Japan wondered why TikTok was banned and young performers mourned the decision. While Japanese conservative politicians consider proposing banning the apps, some local governments in Japan have already stopped using TikTok.
